Hi unfortunately this was not for me.
I wanted to be a cozy crime but I’m not.
Hence the 2 stars.

A nice cosy murder mystery read! I liked the recipes in the book, these were a nice touch. A good holiday read

I loved this it was the perfect cosy crime! The characters were amazing, Agatha the dog was my favourite, I loved the story line, the investigation and the reveal of the whodunnit. One of my favourite details were the recipes that were dotted throughout the book, it added a nice touch

Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency by Josie Llloyd is pure cosy crime at its finest. Protagonist Alice Beeton is the heart of the novel, a descendant of the legendary Mrs Isabella Beeton and owner of the Good Household Management Agency.

Alice provides wealthy families with domestic staff, yet when a brand new hire is found dead, Alice finds herself drawn into a world of murder. After all, who better to solve a crime than a most organised mind?

I really enjoyed this one. It is the cosiest of crime novels, with recipes heavily sprinkled throughout, just in case you forgot the Mrs Beeton connection.

Alice is a gem of a woman. She often feels slightly sad that she is single and childless over fifty but gets on with things and runs a highly recommended business, alongside staff and close friends, and her trusty dog companion, Agatha.

I warmed to Alice immediately, and rooted for her throughout, against her frustrating brother and diabolical landlord to name a few. Her friend Jinx is a hoot and a half, and I loved the sense of found family Alice had created with her best friend.

I did feel that it lost a little bit of pace in the middle but it soon picked up and I couldn’t wait until it all came together in the final chapters.

Definitely a must read if cosy crime is for you!

A delightful Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery only made more delicious with the inclusion of the recipes!

In this “cosy” whodunit, we meet Alice Beeton – relative of the famous Victorian author – running a household management agency. Having always prided herself on finding just the right person for any position, she is shocked when Enya, a new housekeeper she recently placed with a wealthy, well-known family, is killed at one of their evening soirees.

Knowing there is more to the family than meets the eye, and having found herself currently without a flat, she steps in undercover as their new housekeeper. With the help of her friends (and while trying to avoid the detection of the rather charming police detective in charge of the case), Alice sets about finding out what happened to Enya and why.

This is a fun take on a murder mystery, and I enjoyed the references to Mrs Beeton throughout. Recommended to any fans of a cosy crime mystery.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency by Josie Lloyd is a charming and witty cozy mystery. The story follows Alice Beeton, who runs a domestic staffing agency and turns amateur sleuth when a housekeeper is murdered during a New Year’s Eve party. With a well-paced plot, engaging characters, and delightful nods to her famous ancestor through recipes, the book is both entertaining and heartwarming. While some twists may be predictable, the humor and festive setting make it a delightful read for mystery lovers. A solid 4-star pick for fans of lighthearted whodunits.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was a light and easy read. I loved the characters and the mystery unfolded gently. A gentle page turner, perfect for a dull winters day

If you're in the need for a feel-good read - in the cosy murder mystery genre - then Miss Beeton's Murder Agency is an excellent choice. Think Agatha Christie with extra sweetness. And add recipes for a unique touch too!

I loved the nod back to famous Mrs Beeton - our lead character Alice is a descendant, running a household management agency, but has to turn detective when one of her employees is murdered. A page-turning adventure ensues, highly enjoyed!

This was very implausible but a lot of fun! It was nice that the police weren’t too bumbling for once, and Alice was one heck of a sleuth. The crime was pretty well put together, but the ensuing circumstances did get more and more outlandish as things progressed.

I really liked Alice and her friends, even if it did feel a little convenient that they all had their backgrounds ;) and I would die for Agatha, obviously! I do think that there were a lot of characters so some were significantly less fleshed out than others.

I will say it took a good while to get going, so much so that I had begun to wonder when the murder would actually happen. But from there the pace picked up nicely and kept me on the edge of my seat. I predicted a couple of things but others surprised me, which is always good in a mystery.

While there are a few points for improvement, I did find this to be all-around decent fun. 3.75 stars

A mysterious and adventurous read. I enjoyed this well written book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

This is the first book I'm reading by Josie Lloyd - I really enjoyed it. This cosy mystery book is full of well-rounded charcters and a great plot and I'm hoping it's the start of a series. A great book to escape to and leave the world behind. Thanks to the publsihers for letting me read an advanced copy of this book.

Loved this book! I would give it more stars if I could. My kind of cosy mystery! The characters are colourful, the plot clever with intrigue and the writing is engrossing. This was truly difficult to put down. Please tell me Miss Beeton will be making another appearance in a new story soon! Great read, I wish I could read it again without knowing the ending!

Thank you Netgalley

Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency is a cosy mystery set around Christmas, but perfect for curling up with at any time for a few hours of delightful escapism.

Alice Beeton, a distant relative of the renowned Mrs Beeton, runs a household staffing agency providing domestic staff to the wealthy. When one of her placements is found dead after a pre-Christmas party, Alice is less than impressed by the police’s interest in the case. As a lover of crime fiction, and the owner of a dog named Agatha after the Queen if Crime herself, she takes it upon herself to investigate ….

Although set in the present, there is a charming retro feel to the book. Alice is a delightful protagonist, determined and not afraid to step out of her hitherto somewhat safe life to get to the truth. There is humour, there is intrigue - and there are even recipes. It all makes for a charming concoction - and an entertaining read.

Alice Beeton, a distant relation of THE Mrs Beeton, runs a household management agency. When one of the women she placed into a home in an emergency is found dead, Alice and the team need to solve the case quickly.

A fun cosy mystery, a nice start to a series. Lots of interesting characters are introduced, I particularly liked Jinx and Alices' dog Agatha! I will definitely look for the next book, I'm a big fan of this style of story and this was a great beginning point.

I think this is the cosiest of all the cosy crime fictions I have read, its so sweet its sprinkled with Mrs Beeton's recipes!
Alice Beeton is a distant relative of the famous Mrs Beeton; she's always been proud of the connection, and prides herself on being an etiquette expert and a stickler for the correct behaviour. She runs an agency providing household staff across the country and she has someone for every eventuality. When one of her employees is found dead, Alice Beeton suspects foul play and begins investigating.
The story is beautifully told with plenty of detail and description. I did enjoy the insights into the lifestyles of the uber-rich with their staff on hand for every occasion. Personally I prefer my crime a bit edgier so this wasn't the one for me, but I know lots of people have loved the gentler side to the crime fiction world.

Josie Lloyd writes a great story with older characters. Alice Beeton runs an agency supplying domestic and household management staff. Her latest placement ends dramatically and Alice, right hand woman Jinx and other friends end up trying to solve a murder. You see the sad and lonely side of life in a wealthy household and have some laughs along the way. #missbeetonsmurderagency #netgalley

Josie Lloyd's newest book is Miss Beeton's Murder Agency. It was wonderfully fun to read!

In the author's notes, Josie reveals that this is her first 'cosy' book. Well, she's done a great job in gathering and creating all the requisite pieces needed for a cosy.

The biggest need is for a lead character. Ours is Alice. She's the owner of The Good Household Management Agency - it provides a myriad of fully vetted staff for just about anything you could think of. She's very easy to like. And she has a dog named Agatha - after Agatha Christie of course. The core supporting cast is just as well drawn. The friendship between Jinx and Alice is well written.

It's easy to find the "baddies", but are we sure we've got the right person? The ah-ha took me right down to the final pages and explanations.

What else? Ahh yes there is! A possible romance with a member of the local constabulary? The same copper who warned her away from sticking her nose into the case.

And lastly a lovely cosy set of vintage recipes handed down to Alice. "...her Victorian ancestor the very famous Isabella Beeton - she of the Book of Household Management." Those recipes are included!

I really enjoyed this cosy! I'll be watching for book two in this series.

Alice Beeton is a distant relative of 'the Mrs Beeton', and runs the 'Good Household Management Agency'. When Enya Fischer, one of her new recruits is found dead, Alice decides to investigate along with a police detective, her dog, her friends and colleagues. Despite some of these characters having minor roles, I really enjoyed each one of them and thought they all added something to the mix.

The fact that Alice has named her dog Agatha is a big hint that the author has taken some inspiration here from classic Christie mysteries and this comes through loud and clear throughout the book. It's 100% a cosy crime murder mystery, with a light and festive feel which is perfect for crime fans at this time of year. The inclusion of recipes in the story was also a really nice touch!

One thing I can say is that this book was exactly what I was expecting after reading the synopsis and seeing the cover design. If you are a fan of lighter or cosy mysteries then you know what you will be getting. There was one surprise though - this story is set in the present day but because of the links to Mrs Beeton, and the style of writing - it had a more vintage feel to it. I had to remind myself sometimes that this was a modern crime story rather than a historical one but that added to the overall vibe in my opinion.

An entertaining, well plotted and solid mystery. It's cosy-like, well plotted, and I had fun and was kept guessing. I hope to read more featuring these characters.
The author is a good storyteller
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine